Improvement in cranberry-pickers



J. WESTON.

Cranberry-Pickers.

No. 145,979, I Patented Dec. 30,1873.

WW2 ea I wl/ T) UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

JOSEPH WESTON, OF DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CRANBERRY-PICKERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,979, dated DecemberC0, 1873; application filed October 22, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WEsroN, of Duxbury, in the county of Plymouthand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inOranberry-Pickers, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l of the accompanying drawing is a central vertical longitudinalsection of my improved cranberry picker and receptacle. Fig. 2 is a topview of the same with the lid removed.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements ina device for picking cranberries, whereby they are gathered in a cleanand expeditious manner, without injury either to the berries or thevines. My invention consists mainly in a cranberry-picker havinginclined curved bottom teeth, and intermediate guards and side guards,and side teeth of varying lengths projecting from a suitable back orframe, provided with a top hinged lid having a handle, and havingdepending at the front from its under side an inclined brush, that, whenthe lid is closed, meshes with the forward portion of said bottom teeth,and detaches the berries from the vines, which are held above the saidteeth. These improvements also consist in a box or receptacle, toreceive the berries from the picker, said box being connected with theback or frame of the picker, and in this case made open, and providedwith a hinged flap opening inward, and a hinged bottom or rear trapopening outward, to allow the entrance and exit of the berries, all ofwhich I will now proceed more particularly to describe.

In the drawings, A represents a back or frame, of wood, metal, or othersuitable material, from the lower portion of which project, parallelwith each other, a series of curved teeth, a, beveled on the front, atthe bottom, to form an edge. These teeth a are of metal, or othersuitable material, and have, at proper intervals between them, metal orother suitable guards G, inclining in a straight line on the top, andcurving on the bottom from the back toward the forward point. Outside ofthe outer teeth a, on each side of the lower portion of the front of theback or frame A, is a side guard, D, similar to, but of less depth orheight than, the intermediate guards O, as shown by the dotted line f,Fig. 1. Above the side guards D,

projecting forward from each side of the front of the frame A, are rodsor teeth I), of metal or other suitable material, beveled to an edge onthe front, and each diminishing in length above the other, the bottomrods being of shorter lengths than the side guards D. Hinged to the topof the frame A is a lid, E, provided on the top, at the rear, with abent lever or other suitable lift, F, and having at the front, attachedto its under side, an inclined brush, G, that extends downward, when thelid is closed, between the ends of the teeth a. Projecting upward fromthe rear of the upper portion of the frame A is an inclined handle, H.At the rear of the frame A is attached a box or receptacle, I, of wood,metal, wire, or other suitable material. In the present case, it is madewith a wooden bottom, having a hinged strap, J, opening downward, andheld by a spring-catch, K, the side and rear of the receptacle being oftin, and the front being formed by the frame A, which is made open, andhas a hinged flap, B, opening inward, but not outward. The top of thereceptacle is formed by an open frame, L, provided with wires (1,extending across it either longitudinally or transversely, or otherwisearranged with a wire or other screen,-or perforated top, to allow theescape of dust and other extraneous matter, and admit a view of theinterior of the receptacle; or the top may be made solid, without anyopening. Instead of the bottom trap J, the rear end of the receptaclemay, if desired, be formed with a suitable hinged trap, opening outward.

The operation of my invention is as follows The picker device being heldin one hand by the handle H, and the lid E lifted by the other hand, orby the lift F with the same hand holding the handle, the device isbrought down by an inclined or scooping movement, so that the front ofthe teeth a are readily inserted between the cranberries. 'The lid E isthen let down on the teeth, and the device scooped upward, the brushcleanly removing the berries from the vines, which are taken up abovethe berries by the guards C D and teeth b, through which guards andteeth they are drawn, without injury, by the upward movement of thedevice, which movement carries back the berries through the flap B,which opens automatically to admit them into the receptacle. The flap B,only swinging inward, prevents the return of the berries into thepicker. By unloosening the spring-catch K, the trap-bottom J, or trap inthe rear of the receptacle, is opened, and the berries released.

If desired, a bag or other receptacle may be readily adjusted to the boxI, so that on opening the trap the berries may be deposited at once intothe bag. It is obvious also that the bag or other receptacle may beconnected directly with the picker, which may be arranged to be usedseparately Without the connection of any receptacle, the berries, inthis case, being gathered by the picker device, and deposited as fast aspicked into a basket, barrel, or other proper detached receptacle.

Having thus fully described my improvements,what I claim as myinvention, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patcnt, is

1. A device for picking cranberries, formed with a back or frame, A,hinged lid E, brush G, teeth a, guards G and D, and side teeth I), allconstructed and combined substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the subject-matter of the foregoing claim, thereceptacle I, having a hinged flap, B, trap J, and jointed cover L,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing WitIlGSSOS.

JOSEPH WESTON.

Witnesses:

CARROLL D. WRIGHT, SAML. M. BARTON.

